Stopper and cap assembly for a container



Nov. 19, 1963 P. H. NELSON 3,111,238

STOPPER AND CAP ASSEMBLY FOR A CONTAINER Filed 001,. 25, 1961 INVENTOR. By PAUL H NELSON United States Patent Ofi ice 3,i 1 1,238 Patented Nov. 19, 1963 3,111,233 STQRWER AND CAP ASSEMBLY FGR A tIflNTAiNER Paul H. Nelson, Plainviile, Comm, assignor to Lenders,

Frary 8: Clmk, New Britain, Com., a corporation of Connecticut Filed (let. 25, 1961, Ser. No. 147,555 6 Claims. (Cl. 215-48) This invention relates to an improved stopper and cap assembly especially suitable for use sealing vacuum bottles, food jars and the like wherein the stopper portion of the assembly extends within the container and the cap portion engages the outside of the container.

One of the principal objects of this invention is the provision of an improved stopper and cap assembly for sealing a container which establishes and maintains an effective seal regardless of any eccentricity that may exist between the inner and outer walls of the container mouth.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved stopper and cap assembly that effectively seals a dimensionally inaccurate container and yet does not require precise dimensioning of its constituent parts.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved stopper and cap assembly that is durable, easily cleansed and capable of being manufactured at low cost.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved stopper and cap assembly of the present invention, shown inserted in and secured around a container, the latter being partially broken away and represented by dotted lines;

FIG. 2 is a perspective and exploded view showing the elements comprising the improved stopper and cap assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross section view of the improved stopper and cap assembly of the present invention showing an adjusted position of the assembly in phantom; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the stopper and cap assembly showing the adjusted position of the assembly in greater detail.

Referring now to the drawings, it is seen that the improved stopper and cap assembly of the present invention, enerally designated 1, is comprised of a stopper portion 2 adapted to be inserted in the mouth of a container in sealhig relationship therewith and a cap portion 3 extending laterally outwardly from the stopper and adapted to be secured around the outer wall of the container mouth as shown in FIG. 1 whereby the stopper portion 2 is maintained within the mouth of the container. The stopper portion is generally cylindrical, closed at both ends, and comprises a body formed of inner and outer telescopingly engaged cup-like elements 4 and 5, respectively, which are held in their telescoping relationship by means of the cooperative engagement of a circumferential ridge 6 located on the inner surface of the outer element and a plurality of spaced arcuate ribs '7 located on the outer surface of inner element 4- as best shown in FIG. 3.

In order to effect a fluid-tight seal between the inner wall of the container mouth and the insert member, a lipshaped sealing ring 8 and a convex-shaped sealing ring 9 are formed in axially spaced relationship on the outer surface of the outer element 5. The outer element (including sealing rings 8 and 9) is formed of a relatively soft, high resiliency plastic with the rings 8 and 9 shaped and dimensioned to enable them to be readily deformed into snug and continuous sealing contact with the inner container mouth wall. Additionally, the lip sealing ring 8 is formed of a slightly greater diameter than the sealing ring 9 in order to insure that the former will establish a good sealing contact with the inner container mouth Wall.

In order to provide the stopper portion with strength and dimensional stability, the inner element 4 is molded from a plastic or other suitable material having greater rigidity than the substance of the outer element 5. The elements are such that in their telescoping relationship the lower end walls are in engagement to preclude axial collapse of element 5 and the circumferential walls are substantially coextensive and slightly spaced to permit limited radial flexing of element 5.

The cap portion 3 of the assembly is formed of a relatively hard and unyieldable plastic or other suitable material and comprises a flat base portion 11 having a centrally located aperture 12 through which the stopper portion 2 extends, the rim of the aperture being clamped between outwardly extending circumferential fianges l4 and 15 located at one end or" stopper elements 4 and 5, respectively, whereby the stopper and cap portions are secured together. The flange 15 of the outer element is formed with an annular, upwardly extending lip 16 which is deflected downwardly by the rim of base 11 when the ridge 6 and ribs 7 are snapped into cooperative engagement during assembly of the stopper and cap portion thereby insuring a tight, rattle-free fit therebetween while providing a flexible lip to engage the upper end of the container neck portion so as to assist in sealing the container. Four spaced, arcuate, cutout portions 17 are provided on the base of the cap along the periphery of the aperture 12 to permit the arcuate tongues 7 to pass therethrough during the above-described assembly of the stopper and cap portion. The cap portion 11 of the assembly is further comprised of circumferential wall 18 extending downwardly from the base, which wall is provided on its inside with suitable securing means such as a plurality of threads 19 which cooperate with complementary threads located about the outer wall of the container mouth to firmly secure the stopper portion in position within the container to maintain the desired fluid-tight seal.

In accordance with a principal feature of the present invention, the diameter of the aperture 12, which is defined by the distance between the arcuate ends of the plurality of opposed tab portions 2%, is greater than the outside diameter of that portion of inner element 4 adjacent the flange 14 thereby to provide a clearance therebetween as is visible in FIGS. 3 and 4. Hence, should the outer and inner walls of the container mouth be eccentric with respect to each other, the cap will laterally shift during assembly of the stopper and cap on the container to compensate for this eccentricity (as shown by the dotted lines 22 in FIGS. 3 and 4) without breaking the seal produced by sealin rings 8 and 9. This shifting also permits easy alignment of the threads 19 with respect to the complementary threads around the container mouth. Additionally, the self-adjustability of the cap relative to the stopper further compensates for dimensional inaccuracy that may exist in the stopper and cap assembly itself.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure above described will become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope or" the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An assembly for sealing a container comprising a cup-shaped stopper having a body dimensioned for insertion within the mouth of the container to establish a.

sealing contact with the inside wall of the container mouth, a cap having an aperture engaging said stopper at its inner rim, means extending through said aperture and into said stopper for connecting said cap and stopper together and providing a seal between the stopper and cap, said aperture being dimensioned to provide a clearance between the edge of the aperture and said means thereby to permit relative movement between the cap and stopper and means on the cap for releasably securing the cap around and in contact with the outside of the container.

2. An assembly for sealing a container comprising, a stopper having a body dimensioned for insertion in sealing relationship with the inner wall of a container month, said stopper body having a resilient outwardly extending flange adjacent one end thereof, a cap having an aperture receiving said stopper, the rim of said aperture lying radially inward of and in engagement with said flanges, the aperture in the cap being dimensioned to provide clearance between the edge of the aperture and the body thereby to permit relative radial movement between the stopper and the cap, and means on the cap for releasably securing the cap around and in contact with the outside of the container.

3. An assembly for sealing a container comprising, a stopper having a body dimensioned for insertion in sealing relationship with the inner wall of a container mouth, said body having a first outwardly extending flange positioned at one end thereof, and a second outwardly extending flange formed of a relatively soft and high resilient material, said second flange including a lip portion dimensioned to extend generally perpendicular thereto and to lie adjacent said first flange, a cap having an aperture receiving said stopper, the rim of the aperture being clampingly engaged by said flanges with the lip portion of said second flange being deformed by said rim, the aperture in the cap being dimensioned to provide clearance between the aperture edge and the stopper body, and means on the cap for releasably securing the cap around the outside of the container.

4. An assembly for sealing a container comprising a stopper body dimensioned for insertion in sealing relationship with the inner wall of a container mouth, said stopper body formed of inner and outer telescopingly engaged cup-like elements, a pair of closely situated outwardly extending flanges located respectively on said elements, the outer element including its flange being formed of a relatively soft high resilient material, a cap having an aperture therethrough, the rim of the aperture in the cap being clampingly engaged by said flanges and deforming the flange of said outer element, the aperture in the cap being dimensioned to provide clearance between the aperture edge and that portion of the inner element located between said flanges, and means on the 4 cap for releasably securing the cap around the outside of the container.

5. An assembly for sealing a container comprising a cap having a base portion and an aperture extending through the base portion, said base portion having a plurality of spaced arcuate cutout portions extending along the periphery of said aperture and defining a plurality of tabs, the distance between diametrically opposed tabs defining the dia eter or" said aperture, 21. stopper dimensioned for insertion in sealing engagement with the inner wall of the container, said stopper being formed of inner and outer telescopingly engaged cup-like elements, the inner element having a plurality of spaced arcuate ribs around its outer surface, the inner element being received in the aperture in the cap with the outer surface of the inner element being spaced from said tabs, said arcuate ribs being dimensioned to pass through, respectively, said arcuate cutout portions located through said base portion durin assembly, said outer element having a circumferential ridge on its inner surface in cooperative engagement with said arcuate ribs thereby securing said stopper elements together, means for maintaining said stopper within the aperture in the cap, and means on said cap for releasably securing the cap around the outside of the container.

6. An assembly for sealing a container comprising, a stopper portion closed at both ends and formed of inner and outer telescopingly engaged and substantially coextensive cup-like elements, said outer element having spaced on its outer surface a first convex-shaped sealing ring and a second lip-shaped sealing ring, said second sealing ring having a slightly greater diameter than said first sealing ring and both of said rings being dimensioned to scaiingly engage the inner wall of the container mouth, said outer element including said rings being formed of a relatively soft high resilient material to permit said sealing rings to deform into sealing engagement with said container mouth, the inner stopper element being slightly spaced and being formed of a more rigid material than said outer element thereby to limit radial flexing of said outer element, and a cap secured to said stopper and having means for releasably securing the cap around the outside of the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,098,051 Pick May 26, 1914 2,690,946 Roehrl Oct. 5, 1954 2,925,187 Bramming Feb. 16, 1960 3,001,659 Schultz Sept. 26, 1961 3,059,798 Darmstadt et al Oct. 23, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 850,502 Great Britain Oct. 5, 1960 

1. AN ASSEMBLY FOR SEALING A CONTAINER COMPRISING A CUP-SHAPED STOPPER HAVING A BODY DIMENSIONED FOR INSERTION WITHIN THE MOUTH OF THE CONTAINER TO ESTABLISH A SEALING CONTACT WITH THE INSIDE WALL OF THE CONTAINER MOUTH, A CAP HAVING AN APERTURE ENGAGING SAID STOPPER AT ITS INNER RIM, MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID APERTURE AND INTO SAID STOPPER FOR CONNECTING SAID CAP AND STOPPER TOGETHER AND PROVIDING A SEAL BETWEEN THE STOPPER AND CAP, SAID APERTURE BEING DIMENSIONED TO PROVIDE A CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE EDGE OF THE APERTURE AND SAID MEANS THEREBY TO PERMIT RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE CAP AND STOPPER AND MEANS ON THE CAP FOR RELEASABLY SECURING THE CAP AROUND AND IN CONTACT WITH THE OUTSIDE OF THE CONTAINER. 